Tulips in Ironstone

Ironstone was developed in Staffordshire, England in the 19th century as an alternative to porcelain. Actually, there is no iron in ironstone; it’s name is derived from its notable strength and durability. Antique ironstone wares are collectable, particularly if it was made by Mason’s. I decided to recreate that look using my Pottery Pitcher (#1294)!

LET’S GET STARTED

Step One Die cut Tulip 2 (#1296) five times in Soft Finish White cardstock. Cut “calyx” 5 times in a medium green cardstock and cut the stamen 5 times in black cardstock. The background was a photo that I printed from my computer of a Delft tile—I thought it was appropriate with the Tulips.

Step Two
Die cut two Pottery Pitchers in Soft Finished cardstock with Clear Double Sided
Adhesive on the back. Adhere them together and use an Opaque White embossing
powder to create the finish. Use Metallic Rub-On/Earth Tones Kit #2/Nubian to antique
the Pitcher.

Step Three
Use PanPastel/Bright Green Yellow Shade (from Set 2) to shade the outside of the
white Tulips.

Step Four
Place the 4-petal piece and the 2-petal piece on the Molding Pad and using the Small
Loop Tool, shape the pieces. Then, use the Small Ball Stylus to cup the centers of
both pieces. Use Beacon Kids Choice Glue to adhere the two petal pieces together. If
you want your Tulip to dry properly, use a plastic candy separator or an egg carton
used for Quail eggs and turn them upside down in a container.

Step Five
Place the medium green cardstock calyx on the Molding Pad and cup the pieces. Use
a toothpick to place it inside the Tulip. For the black stamen, hold onto the “tail” and
use a toothpick to apply some glue to the straight edge. Roll up the pieces and secure

with your thumb and index finger while sliding the tweezers out. Separate the
filaments, dip ends into glue and then into Black Pollen. Dip the base of the stamen
into the glue and adhere it to the calyx inside the Tulip.

Step Six
I decided to die cut three Ladder Ferns (#1423) for foliage. I used a Comic Marker E89/
Pecan to accentuate the stem. Then I placed the Fern on my Leaf Pad and used the
Leaf Tool to draw stem lines.

Step Seven Assembly.—Shade medium green cardstock Leaves with Distress Ink/Forest Moss on the edges. Place on the Leaf Pad and add a stem line. With the Leaf right-side-up, fold the stem line and shade this line with PanPastels/Bright Yellow Green Tint. Use Tweezers to pinch the stem end and the Medium Ball Stylus to shape the outer edge of the leaf. Adhere the Pottery Pitcher to your background. Add the three Ladder Ferns and finally the White Tulips. I use foam cosmetic sponges to prop the Tulips up until they set. Dip the stem ends of the leaves into glue and place them around the flowers.

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Admittedly, I’m a Navy brat, the fifth of eight children, I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but consider Maryland to be home. It’s where my maternal grandparents bought a farm and where my parents built a home after my father completed his military service.
My background encompasses extensive gardening education through my grandmother and mother; tagging along to their gardening club and hearing how they shared their stories with other gardeners. My grandmother was known for her prize-winning Dahlias and I still have a piece of the original peony she gave me as a wedding gift 47 years ago. It’s been transplanted with every move we’ve made, but hopefully number 17 is our last in North Carolina! I’ve had the opportunity to live throughout the United States, or as a gardener would say, “experience the different growing zones,” and I think my collections reflect that.
I’ve always believed that there is a destiny in our lives, whether it be joys or tragedies. I turn to my art in those times to ground me. My mother, who passed away at the early age of 67, always told me, “a God-given talent is meant to be shared.” I realized that when I loss our daughter, Kelly to breast cancer in 2010, I turned to my garden once more to find that inspiration and to honor both their wishes.
I’m a teacher at heart and love that crafters have not only learned of new flowers from me, but most also call the pieces by their botanical terms-stamens, calyx, filaments, etc. My story continues at Elizabeth Craft Designs, with quality products that I am known for and will give you excellent results. I’ve planted this garden for you!